


Leaving

by BuddyTheMeanPeacock



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Confessions, Denial of Feelings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21609208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddyTheMeanPeacock/pseuds/BuddyTheMeanPeacock
Summary: Claude believes it's only natural that he leave Fódlan behind him after the war. He's met with resistance- external and internal.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 129





	Leaving

The plan was perfect. He was going to leave after the war with such insignificant damage. The Alliance would hold under Lorenz's guidance, Teach would have Seteth to guide them in ruling the church and restoring Adrestia, Faerghus would prosper under their recovered king's rule, all the while no one would particularly miss his presence. He couldn't stay, after all- he had too much to do in Almyra to not go back. It should have been flawless.

But here Claude was in the middle of the night, crushed against Dimitri's chest after he burst into his room, holding him as though he would vanish.

"You're here," he felt whispered against the top of his head. Dimitri's grip on him tightened as though to affirm the statement. "Thank the Goddess... You're here..."

Of course he was. The war wasn't over yet and he wouldn't leave until it was- he said as much to Dimitri and Teach. He made  _ sure _ to let them know; they were the only ones he wasn't sure would take his sudden disappearance as well as the others. They were shocked, sure, but they understood.  _ Dimitri _ understood, saddened as he was to hear it.

Claude chuckled and raised a hand and patted Dimitri's shoulder. "Yeah, I sure am. I'm not goin' anywhere."

"Yet."

Claude tensed at the tone the word was said. He sounded so... distraught.

A familiar flood swept across his chest. He cursed inwardly. Not now. This damned feeling can't make him lose focus.

"Yeah Dimitri. We talked about this already, remember? It's settled. It'll be fine."

Dimitri will be fine. If he truly will miss him he'll have Felix, Ingrid, Sylvain, Dedue, Teach, any number of friends to accompany him now that he's gotten better. He didn't need Claude. It was why he could leave with good conscious.

Leave alone.

He felt a wave crash against him at the sudden thought.

He felt Dimitri shake his head with a desperate zeal. "You're wrong. It will not- will  _ not _ be fine. The thought of losing you once the war is over is- it- I can not do it, Claude."

"Losing me?" Claude rubbed what he hoped were soothing circles on Dimitri's back, ignoring the new crushing wave Dimitri's words brought forth and continued with a light tone, "Look, this is just a bad night, alright? You'll be fine, I promise. I'll even make sure to write every day-"

" _ No!"  _ Claude flinched at the sudden shout as it beat against his body, as though it were a greataxe slammed against an oak. He heard Dimitri's unsteady breath rattle across his body. "Tell me, can you send me your radiance through letter? Can you send your brilliant mind, your joyous laughter and smiles through mere paper? Can you promise me your presence across the lands? Can you, Claude?!"

Claude sucked in a breath. His hand stopped its useless comforts, balling into a tight fist, holding hopelessly to Dimitri's night shirt for something resembling balance. His lungs were drowning, his breath constricted as they refused to move against Dimitri's suffocating words. He choked out a chuckle, falling back on instinct because it wasn't possible this was happening. "Dimitri-"

"You tell me I'll be _fine_ ," Dimitri cut off, "but ever since the day you've told me of your plans to leave I have been haunted. For weeks, I dream of your siren's voice gifting me with laughter, your angelic face blessing me with smiles I feel too unworthy to witness, your radiance endowing the world with color, only for you to turn your back and leave."

Dimitri somehow pulled Claude's numbed body closer. "The world becomes gray. Sights and sounds, faces and voices, they all become  _ nothing _ . How can they be anything, when the sun has left all in a merciless cold?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "I can not live in such a world, Claude. I  _ can't _ ."

How did this happen? When did- Dimitri- what made Dimitri think this? Claude felt dizzy despite the stillness of his body. Dimitri felt this way- 

What did  _ he _ feel?

Claude shut his eyes tight, trying to rid the thought from his mind, but its roots were already firmly planted, bearing sweetened fruit too tempting to leave alone.

Dimitri's honesty and sincerity was... so different than what Claude knew. He drew Claude in, gaining his trust... because Claude knew it was safe with him. His dedication to his friends and people... his unending kindness and willingness to do what he could to bring peace to others, losing his mind in such pursuits and gaining it back to chase it even better... 

Claude swallowed. He needed to focus. 

"Look, Dimitri, I get that our feelings can be overwhelming sometimes-"

He heard him gasp. " _ Our _ ? You... you feel the same?"

Claude gritted his teeth. He slipped up. He took a steadying breath and ignored Dimitri. "-but we have to think, okay? These feelings are... temporary." He felt Dimitri shake his head again, heard him say "no, no" under his breath but he kept going. "They'll go away eventually. Whatever they are won't last, okay? We can't let them dictate such big decisions."

"Whatever they are..."

"Yeah." Claude's grip tightened one last bit, his own words sounding... before he let go. He allowed himself a small smile. "You should go back to your room. I can give you something for the dreams-"

"I know what these feelings are."

Claude froze. 

"Claude... I-"

" _ Stop! _ "

He didn't want to hear it. He won't let him say it.

His heart was beating- so fast. He breathed in- breathed out.

"...Tell me, Claude," Dimitri said after a moment, "what do you wish for?"

A scoff left him. "What do I wish for? Are you gonna make it come true if I tell you? Thought I was supposed to keep it to myself for that," he teased, hoping for an out.

His jokes brought no response.

He giggled nervously. "Well, since you asked, I wish for... a grand feast, with nothing but pheasant- and only for me. Think you can handle that, Your Princeliness?"

Nothing.

He swallowed again. "H-Hey, you're really gonna ignore me? That's- not really polite of you."

Nothing.

...What did he wish for...

He felt his muscles tense against his will. What he wished for- he knew, but his mind couldn't think of what it was. What he wished for- his hand squeezed at Dimitri's shirt, until he felt his bones move and grind against each other. What he wished for- his throat was tight, his jaw aching from the force of his grating teeth. He didn't want to say it. What he wished for- what he wished for-

He lowered his head.

"I don't want to be alone."

Barely a whisper, the words left his throat, slime coated and leaving him sick. He pulled Dimitri closer. He didn't- 

He didn't...

...

"I'll come back."

A gasp. "Claude?"

"I will leave. I will do what I'll have to. I will come back. I'm not leaving you." He chuckled. "You've really caught me. I'm not letting you go."

The hold relaxed on him, no longer desperate. "Claude..."

Another chuckle. He couldn't help himself. "You managed to crawl your way to my weak points and settle there nice and snug, huh? I'm trusting you not to make a mess, you hear?"

It sounded so... accusatory. But he didn't know how else to say it.

Claude's eyes widened when he was pushed back. Dimitri faced him, his sole eye piercing his own. "I swear to you, on everything I hold dear, no such thing will happen."

Claude held Dimitri's gaze and saw how genuine his determination was. He smiled; no chuckles or laughter followed it. "Alright, Dimitri."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_ Dimitri: Savior King _

_ Claude: King of Unification  _

_ Dimitri assumed the throne of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and spent his life ruling justly over Fódlan, and Claude, as he said he would, left Fódlan to take up the throne to Almyra and pursue his dream. Years later, after the two nations' relations grew to an unparalleled peak, Claude, king of Almyra, vanished, leaving his throne to a family member. Coincidentally, soon after, a man appeared before the Faerghus court, asking for the king's presence. Dimitri met him, and, upon recognizing the man, took him in his home. It is said the two spent the rest of their days together, never leaving the other's side. _

**Author's Note:**

> Dimitri sounds so sad when Claude leaves for Almyra in AM- and they didn't even spend much time together there. A lil take on what would happen if Claude told Dimitri (and Byleth but who cares lol) he was leaving but they were allowed to let their relationship grow more. With a more blatant romantic twist, since 3H seems oddly adverse to most everyone involved outside of S supporting Byleth.
> 
> I also find it tragic- tragic!- that so few in the fandom seem to know that Claude will just give up the Almyran throne in certain paired endings (like Lysithea's and Shamir's), so I wanted to write one for them that incorporates that.


End file.
